FORT WAYNE, Ind.—Did you know that Mother Nature is the best mathematician? So says Professor of Mathematics Peter Dragnev, who will present “Patterns in Numbers: Nature’s Mathematics,” Saturday, April 13, at the Lunch with an IPFW Scientist program at Science Central.

Dragnev says you can fill in the blanks yourself in the following famous sequence: {1,1,2,3,5,8,__,__,__,__,__,…}. He says, for example, the counter clockwise and clockwise spirals in a sunflower head are consecutive numbers in this sequence and so are the numbers of branches in a tree.

He will have many more examples and hands-on activities as part of his presentation.

Lunch with an IPFW Scientist is held at Science Central, 1950 N. Clinton, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The program is open to the public at a cost of $16 per person; $10 for Science Central members. Lunch is included.

The Lunch with an IPFW Scientist series is designed for families with children age 8 to 14. It plants in both the young and most seasoned participant a budding interest in science. After each presentation, which includes a hands-on activity, participants enjoy lunch with the presenter. Advance reservations are required.

For more information on the series, visit the Science Central website or call Kathy Larsen, Science Central special programs manager, at 260-424-2400, ext. 427. For reservations, call ext. 451.